Owners Need Tags At Dog Beach

Lauderdale Passes Permit Plan

October 18, 1995|By ROBIN BENEDICK Staff Writer

FORT LAUDERDALE - — From now on, dog owners have to wear their own tags when they take their dogs to the beach on weekends.

The City Commission decided Tuesday that dog owners must buy laminated city permits and wear them around their necks when they bring their dogs to Dog Beach, a 100-yard spit of sand just north of Sunrise Boulevard.

It's the only place in Broward County where dogs can legally romp in the surf, on Saturdays and Sundays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

No dog owners spoke for or against the permits on Tuesday, when city commissioners approved the idea as a way to ensure that pet owners abide by the rules to keep their dogs on leashes and clean up behind them.

Nearby residents have complained about dog droppings in the sand and dogs running loose on the beach when they are not supposed to be there.

The idea of making people wear their own dog tags while letting their dogs frolic on the sand has gotten mixed reviews.

Some pet owners don't want to pay, but they want a canine beach. Other people would like to ban dogs from the beach altogether.

"It'd be nice if we didn't have to pay a fee, but if the permits are going to save Dog Beach, I'm all for them," said Celeste Locante Thorson, a Pompano Beach resident who takes her two Labrador retrievers to the beach.

Hank Jones worries that the city won't be able to enforce the permits. He goes to the beach every day, and said he is disgusted by dogs on the beach.

"It's an unclean situation," he said.

The city plans to sell the permits at Dog Beach on weekends in November, beginning on Saturday, Nov. 4.

After that, annual permits will be sold at the Parks and Recreation office at 1350 W. Broward Blvd. Temporary weekend permits will be sold at the office or at Dog Beach.

This weekend, park rangers will pass out fliers to let dog owners know about the permits.

As a nonresident, Thorson will pay $31.80 for an annual permit that she will wear around her neck at Dog Beach. The fee is the same for one or more dogs in the family.

Fort Lauderdale residents will pay $15.90 for the annual tag. Temporary permits, which will not be worn around the neck, will cost $5 plus tax.

Dog owners without permits will get a break through the end of the year.

But after that, dog owners can be fined or lose their permits if they break the rules.

"We aim to make this work," said Tom Tapp, the city's Parks and Recreation director.